Tongue-and-slot interlock.



12.1. McBREEN. TONGUE AND SLOT INTERLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- H, l9l8.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918 ATTORNEY RAYMOND J. MGBREEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TONGUE-AND-SLOT INTEBLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Oct, 15, 1918.

Application filed March 14, 1918. Serial N 0. 222,307.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, RAYMOND J. MCBREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue and Slot Interlocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tongue-and-slot interlocks, its objects being to provide a simple and strong coupling for a great variety of purposes.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and illustrating the principle of the invention in the best mode now known to me of applying that invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tongue-receiving member, and

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a tongue.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tongue-receiving member and tongue assembled.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of what is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a shovel containing the invention.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of a pair of pincers containing the invention.

In the drawings, 1 is a part of a tonguereceiving member. It is formed with a tongue-receiving slot having opposite alined end portions 2 of a thickness slightly in excess of the thickness of the tongue. This slot, between its end portions 2 is oppositely enlarged, the edge wall 3 of each enlargement being parallel with the edge walls of the end portions 2. The edge walls are reversely beveled from one side to the other of the tongue-receiving member which, adj acent the tongue-receiving slot, is provided with a pin-receiving hole d.

The tongue shank 5 has at its free end a fiat tongue comprising a transverse upward bend at 6, and a forward raised portion 7 the front end of which bends downwardly at 8 and extends into a neck 9 which extends forwardly into a head 10 of the width of the base portion 7. The shank 5 terminates forwardly in a transverse straight edge 11 under the bend 6 and when the members are assembled by passing the tongue through the slot, the free straight edge of the tongue-receiving member 1 abuts against the shoulder-forming edge 11 of the tongue shank 5, the raised portion 7 overlapping the front margin ofthe member 1 on one side and the head 10 overlapping the rear margin of the member 1 on its opposite side. In this assemblage the bent neck passing through the slot'is brought into the forward side enlargement of the slot; but in the act of assemblage the side edges and adjacent margins of the tongue head 10 have to be slid into and through the end portions 2 of the slot and the rearward slot enlargement then permits the subsequent tipping movement of one member in relation to the other that is required to bring them into flatwise engagement and alinement. The beveling of the walls 3 of the side enlargements of the slot facilitates the coupling and uncoupling movements. F orwardly of the bend at 8, the tongue has opposite edge recesses 12 each extending forwardly into an enlargement 13 whereby the head is formed with side projections 14 that point toward the tongue shank. When the members have been assembled, after said tipping movement, the members are strained apart, thus drawing each projection 14 under the front margin of each slot end portion 2.

The described construction makes a firm and strong coupling; and if, as preferred, the free end of the tongue-receiving member is in transverse abutment with the shoulderforming front edge of the tongue shank, edgewise movements of the two members is obviated. As shown, the tongue head is formed with a pinhole 15 which, in the assemblage, matches the hole 4 in the tonguereceiving member. If desired, a pin or bolt 16 may be put through these registered holes to lock the interlocked or coupled members together.

In Fig. 5 I show one use of my invention in which a shovel handle 17 is provided with the tongue member, and the upper end of the shovel 18 is formed with the tonguereceiving slot; the bolt or pin 16 being used. This illustration is typical of the use of my invention in innumerable different modes of coupling handles to utensils.

In Fig. 6 I show a pair of pincers or analogous jaws detachably coupled together by an embodiment of my invention; one jaw 19 being provided at 20 with the tongue-receiving slot, and the other jaw 21 being formed with the interlocking tongue structure at 22. In this case, the interlocking members are preferably combined with a pintle pin 16 which is merely another indication of the use of a locking pin such as the pin or bolt 16. The pintle pin may be Withdrawn and the two jaws disassembled.

Having thus described the principle of this invention and noting that it nay be embodied in many and various forms in .va

qrious kinds of implements, tools, machines,

apparatus and appliances,

What I claim is:

1. A coupling comprising a slottedtonguereceiving member having an elongated slot which is enlarged on both sides between its ends, and a tongue having laterally opposed I edge recesses each extended toward the free edge, of the tongue forming a tongue neck between the extensions and a rearwardly-extending side projection outwardly of each recessextension, the tongue neck being bent across its qvidth and such rearwardly-extending side projections interlocking with cor-responding margins of the ends of the elongated slot in the tongue-receiving member.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner Patents,

Washingtonfl). 01 

